Celery Root Lentil Soup; Tzatziki on Roasted Aubergine

While it will never win a 'prettiest soup' contest, this is a definite winner in the taste department.  Adapted from Yummy Supper, made slightly lighter and exchanged some ingredients for what I had on hand.Hey, it's what I do.

Celery Root Lentil Soup

1.5 bunches of green onions, sliced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 large celery root, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, zested
6g coconut oil
2 bay leaves
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp salt
2 cups lentils, rinsed
8 c. water
2-3 lemons, juiced, plus slices for garnish

In a large stew pot, add first 11 ingredients (green onions through salt), plus 1/2 c. water and allow to simmer covered, until veg softens, about 15 minutes.  Add lentils and water and bring up to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer 30 minutes, until lentils are soft.  Bust out your immersion blender, and liquefy the soup.  Add a genrous amount of freshly squeezed lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with extra lemon slices.

 

Makes about 13 cups; 141 calories per cup

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Tzatziki on Roasted Aubergine with Cherry Tomatoes

1 aubergine (eggplant)
8 oz greek non-fat yogurt
1 lemon, zested
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp dill
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 packet sweetener
2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice eggplant, about 1/4 thick, lengthwise.  You should get 6-10 slices depending on how big your aubergine is.  Make sure all slices are equal thickness. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.  Spread your aubergine slices out so the do not touch.  Lightly spray the top with more  cooking spray, salt and pepper.  Allow to roast for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, peel, de-seed and grate your cucumbers (I used my food processor with the grater attachment, but a hand grater should work fine).  Line a colander with several layers of paper towel or a clean dish towel, and add your cucumbers.  Allow to drain for 15 minutes, then squeeze out all the excess water by bringing the ends of your towel together and squeezing.

While cucumber drain, add the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl.  You can substitute white pepper for the cayenne if you are not looking for such a kick.  Add drained cucumber to the mix.

Plating is simple: dollop the eggplant slice with tzatziki, and top with fresh tomato.

Makes 6-10 single-slice servings. Topped with about 1/4 c. (70 grams) tzatziki per slice, roughly 60 calories.

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Eric's Dinner: Nothing.  And now his tummy hurts this morning and he is wondering why.

Sweet & Spicy Wasabi-Yogurt Prawns

I found this really interesting looking recipe on my reader this morning.  The original comes from My Kitchen Snippets and while I am quite sure it is good just how the original author has it, deep frying shrimp then slathering them in mayonnaise is really not my idea of a good time. So, behold my version: much, much lighter and changed enough, I think, to deserve a new name.

Sweet & Spicy Wasabi-Yogurt Prawns
½ pound jumbo prawns, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp of corn flour
1 egg white
1/4 c. water

8g coconut oil for saute pan
yogurt dressing:
3.5 oz of plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tbs olive oil
1.5 tsp powdered wasabi

juice of 1/2 lemon
12g agave nectar (about 1.5 tsp)

1 red jalapeno, diced
1 mango, small dice
2 green onion, sliced thin

Season the prawn with a bit of salt and pepper (don't be like me and over salt at this point. I came really close to making it inedible). In a bowl, combine flour, egg white, and water. You are looking for a consistency that will coat, but not clump on the prawn.  If it is too thick add a bit more water. Add prawn and toss to coat.  Heat a small amount of oil in a saute pan.  Carefully add prawn.  Allow to cook at medium-high heat about 3 minutes, and flip. Sear for about 1 minute, then cover and turn off heat.  Allow to cook another minute or 2, then remove from heat and set aside.

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing.  Once prawn are slightly cooled, add to the dressing and toss. 

Makes 2.5 servings, about 5 prawn per serving. 293 calories.

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Eric's dinner: Box of Hamburger Helper Chili Cheese Mac

Black Bean & Quinoa Rainbow Salad; Carrot-Ginger Salad Dressing

I had an all-salad dinner tonight and revisited my old Spicy-Curry Slaw with some updated spices [new spices are added on the original recipe page], which I think is better by a long-shot.  Oddly enough (very very odd...) nary a clove of garlic in sight!

I wish I had a yellow or orange bell pepper on hand, then it would have really been rainbow...

Black Bean & Quinoa Rainbow Salad
 3 small broccoli crowns, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1 small red onion, diced
3 small zucchini, diced
1/2 c. quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
for the dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp cayenne

Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Toss it with the remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

178 calories for a 1.5 cup serving (225g)

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I forgot where I got the original recipe for this (before I personalized it).  If anyone recognizes it, I'd love to give proper credit.  Look how beautiful the color is!

Carrot-Ginger Dressing
2 medium carrots, grates
2 tbs fresh ginger root, grated
2 tbs agave nectar
3/4 c. cider vinegar
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs sesame oil

Everythign goes into the blender.  Puree until well blended.

makes about 2c. of dressing.  15.05 calories per tablespoon (18g)

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For desert I had an awesome AWESOME bowl of Banana Nice Cream: I added organic, Ecuadorian cocoa powder and Stevia to the banana, served it over fresh strawberries, and covered it with almond butter and organic coconut flakes.  /dies

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Erics Dinner: Left over nacho's from last night.  More like, ground beef on chips with some melted cheese.  Technically, that IS nachos.  But wtf. seriously.

Squash, Bean, and Veg Salad

This is one of those "throw in what ya got" recipes.  I went through my veggie drawer and ended up with 4 more ingredients than what I envisioned when I was thinking about what to make for dinner tonight. Take a minute and do the same!

I seasoned this in a particular way as I thought it would be fun to have distinct flavor bites instead of doing a typical dressing with all the flavors mixed together and evenly doused over everything.  I am really pleased with the end result.

(picture to come)


Squash, Bean, and Veg Salad
1 acorn squash, peeled, and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
4 small sun chokes (Jerusalem artichokes), peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
salt   to taste
1 TBS coconut oil
1 cup mushrooms, quartered (smaller if they are larger)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each: red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, thyme
1/2 tsp each: ginger, white pepper
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can hominy, drained
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 large green onions, sliced
juice of 3 limes

Preheat oven to 425

roast your veggies
Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Lay the squash and coke slices in a single layer.  You may need 2 sheets.  Lightly sprinkle salt over the top. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.  When done, remove and allow to cool, then chop into 1/4 inch cubes.

spice your mushrooms
Allow your coconut oil to melt in a skillet under medium heat.  Add all the spices EXCEPT the thyme.  Allow to cook until the spices start to get aromatic.  Add mushrooms and garlic.  Add 2 tablespoons or so of water. Mushrooms are done when all the water is gone.

Combine veggies, mushrooms, and all remaining ingredients.  Make sure to scrape down the skillet to get all the spices that didn't make it in with the mushrooms. Give a good stir, and enjoy!  This can be served warm or cold.

Yield about 7 cups.  164 cals per

Red Bell Baba

I have this Mediterranean dipping sauce theme happening in my fridge right now what with a fresh batch of beet hummus, and now this ramped up baba ghanoush .  Much to Eric's chagrin, I also reek of garlic.  GOOD TIMES.

Red Bell Baba (Ghanoush)
1 large red bell pepper
2 medium eggplants
3 tbsp  Tahini
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
juice of 1-2 lemons
2 tbs fresh parsley

Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork.  Place the bell pepper and the eggplants on your BBQ or under the broiler; turn until all sides are blackened.  Remove and allow to cool enough to handle.  Remove the skin from the pepper and discard. Slice the eggplants in half, and scoop out the meat.

In a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice until frothy, 30 seconds or so.   Add the rest of the ingredients, the eggplant meat, and the pepper flesh to the tahini mixture in the food processor. Use a pulse method to combine everything as you don't want to liquefy this; you are looking for a well blended, but chunky texture - learn from my mistake and mince or fine chop your garlic before adding to the food processor or else you end up with garlic bombs.  Not necessarily a bad thing.

Yield: about 3.5 cups.  186 cals per cup.

So the rest of dinner was left over Quinoa Veg Loaf, baby artichokes (prepped, boiled, then broiled with salt and lemon) and some collard greens (boiled in water with garlic, salt and vinegar for 20 minutes, drained, topped with Tabasco) and celery for the eating of the baba. 

Eric's dinner: Juice.

Quinoa-Veg Loaf with Mashed Cauliflower

I didn't intentionally set out to make a "fake" meatloaf and mashed potato meal, but that's the way it turned out.


The loaf recipe came via my reader (in a round about way) and can be traced back to this Whole Foods recipe.  I made a few substitutions and additions as it didn't look like nearly enough flavoring for my taste ;)  The cauliflower I made a couple nights ago and had left over so just added to my meal.  It is not the same texture as mashed potatoes - no starch so it is not as smooth nor creamy - and it doesn't taste like potatoes, since its cauliflower (durka durr) it is actually better since there is so much more flavor. IMO.

I'm so full right now.  It was a lot of food. Nom nom nom.

Quinoa Veg Loaf
7g coconut oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 large green onions, sliced
1 TSB each: dried oregano, marjoram, thyme
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can  garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 16.5oz jar  sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, rinsed in hot water and chopped
1 cup (about 1 onion) chopped red onion

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spray an 8-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, green onions, dried herbs,  salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, put beans, oats and 1/2 cup water into a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, bean mixture, quinoa, peas, basil, tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared loaf pan, gently pressing down and mounding it in the middle. Bake until firm and golden brown,  1 1/4 hours. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.  Loaf will be slightly mushy when you slice.

Per serving (about 6oz/172g-wt.): 170 calories, based on the Whole Foods recipe, my version is probably a little less

Mashed Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, rough chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk
White pepper and salt, to taste
Parmesan cheese, shaved, optional

Microwave the cauliflower with a bit of water, about 5 minutes or so, or until fork tender. Add the garlic about halfway through. Drain. Using a hand blender, mash the cauliflower and garlic with the salt and pepper, and buttermilk.

That's it.  You can take it to the next level (like you know I did...) by transferring the mash into a casserole dish, and put under a high broiler until slightly browned, which takes 10 - 15 minutes.  Top with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

.28 calories per gram (pictured is about 150 grams)

Zucchini and Onion Stir Fry
1 Zucchini, sliced
1 cup red onion, sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a saute pan.  Add zucchini and onion.  Allow to brown before flipping.  Add salt and pepper. Allow the other side to brown slight and stir.  Add your lemon juice.  Cover, and turn off heat.  Let steam for 2-3 minutes or until squash is done.

Eric's dinner : half a box of Safeway brand Beef  Stroganoff.